Master Keaton · review
Master Keaton is one of the best manga I’ve ever read and I highly recommend it. It deviates from his other well-known works like Monster and 20th Century Boys that are all plot heavy but, retains the strong main character also present on the said series. The background themes can be heavy at times but the mood is mostly lighthearted. It’s nice to be able to enjoy Urasawa without the constant fear of unknown. It does not follow any set plot, instead focusing Keaton's short adventures that in most cases last for a chapter. Most characters only feature for one chapter only. Keaton is a multilingual-archaeologist-SAS elite-insuranceinvestigator. He's nearly a perfect human being, and yet stays humble and has his vulnerable side that keeps him approachable.
The art isn’t for everyone I guess. It definitely has variety that I think a lot of manga is lacking in though. I'm definitely a fan.
For me the key word in the series would be “relatable”. Urasawa incorporates everyday occurrences into the story and manages to end them in a moral way, and this is what makes the series stand out for me. Although you could say this applies to many manga, I’ve often found that Master Keaton is the series where I’m nodding in reaction to the events/characters’ emotion.